The present invention relates to a wire-winding machine and a wire-winding method for winding wires on individual magnetic pole teeth of a core member of a rotary electromechanical device, the core member being formed by joining a plurality of core segments in beltlike form by means of connectors which serve as points of bending. More particularly, the invention is concerned with a construction for achieving improved neatness of alignment of windings.
A conventional wire-winding machine 1 of this kind disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 11-98774, for instance, is constructed such that coils 5 are formed by successively winding magnet wires 4 around individual magnetic pole teeth 3a through nozzles 1a, the magnetic pole teeth 3a projecting to the outside of a core member 3 which is joined in beltlike form by connectors and wound around drums 2a of the wire-winding machine 1, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10.
Another conventional wire-winding machine 6 disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 11-187630, for instance, is constructed such that magnet wires 9 which are moved along a transport guide 7 having an arc-shaped path in the direction of arrows shown in FIG. 11 are successively wound around individual magnetic pole teeth 8a through nozzles 6a, the magnetic pole teeth 8a projecting to the inside of a core member 8 which is joined in beltlike form by connectors, as illustrated in FIG. 11.
As mentioned above, the conventional wire-winding machines 1, 6 are intended to improve the efficiency of wire-winding operation by simultaneously winding three coils 5, 10 with the beltlike core members 3, 8 arranged in arc-shaped form, respectively. In a case where the magnet wires 4 are wound on the core member 3 which is arranged such that the magnetic pole teeth 3a are positioned on the outside of a bent structure with slots in the core member 3 widening outward as shown in FIG. 9, not to mention a case where the magnet wires 9 are wound on the core member 8 which is arranged such that the magnetic pole teeth 8a are positioned on the inside of a bent structure as shown in FIG. 11, however, it is difficult to make sufficient space for the wire-winding operation available. For this reason, there is no alternative but to position the nozzles 1a, 6a parallel to the axes of the respective magnetic pole teeth 3a, 8a in either case so that the radius of curvature of the magnet wires 4, 9 at inside diameter corner portions of outlet openings of the individual nozzles 1a, 6a (indicated by xe2x80x9cAxe2x80x9d in the Figure) decreases as shown in FIG. 12. As a consequence, frictional resistance between the individual magnet wires 4, 9 and the corner portions differs and tensile force exerted on the individual magnet wires 4, 9 varies depending on the moving positions of the individual nozzles 1a, 6a under the wire-winding operation, or under conditions where the magnet wires 4, 9 are located as depicted by solid and broken lines in the Figure, for example, so that there has been a problem that it is difficult to wind the magnet wires 4, 9 in a neatly aligned manner.
The present invention has been made to solve the aforementioned problems of the prior art. Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a wire-winding machine and a wire-winding method which make it possible to prevent deformation of coils during the winding of magnet wires to achieve improved neatness of alignment of windings.
In a wire-winding machine of the invention for forming coils on an iron core of a rotary electromechanical device, the iron core is constructed of a core member which is formed by joining a plurality of core segments, each of the core segments has a yoke portion and a magnetic pole tooth which is projectingly formed on an inside surface of the yoke portion, each of the coils is formed around the magnetic pole tooth, and the core member is formed by joining both ends of the individual yoke portions by means of connectors which serve as points of bending.
According to a principal feature of the invention, this wire-winding machine comprises a wire feeder which is constructed to wind the coils on the magnetic pole teeth as wire outlet ends of the wire feeder turn around the individual magnetic pole teeth, and a core member positioner which causes the core member to bend at the connectors in such a way that the magnetic pole teeth are positioned on the outside or inside of a bent structure, and holds the core member in positions where the core segments adjacent to each core segment which is currently a subject of wire-winding operation performed by the wire feeder do not project in the direction of its magnetic pole tooth beyond a boundary surface including the inside surface of the yoke portion of each core segment which is currently a subject of the wire-winding operation during the wire-winding operation.
According to the aforementioned construction of the wire-winding machine, it is possible to prevent deformation of the coils potentially caused when winding magnet wires and achieve improved neatness of alignment of windings.
In one aspect of the invention, the core member positioner has a mechanism which moves the core member in such a way that the individual core segments are sequentially fed into an operating area of the wire feeder.
This construction serves to wind the magnet wires smoothly and efficiently.
In another aspect of the invention, the core member positioner has a turning device which can bend at least three successive core segments along a peripheral surface and lock them in position in such a way that their magnetic pole teeth are positioned on the outside of the bent structure.
This makes it possible to easily construct the core member positioner and provide a wire-winding machine capable of achieving improved neatness of alignment of windings.
In still another aspect of the invention, the core member positioner includes a plurality of chucks which can bend a specific number of the core segments arranged at specific intervals along the core member and the core segments adjacent to those core segments and lock them in position in such a way that their magnetic pole teeth are positioned on the outside of the bent structure, and a retaining device which bends and holds the multiple core segments located between the core segments locked by the chucks in such a way that the magnetic pole teeth are positioned on the inside of the bent structure, wherein the coils are formed around the core segments locked by the chucks.
This construction also makes it possible to easily construct the core member positioner and provide a wire-winding machine capable of achieving improved neatness of alignment of windings.
In a further aspect of the invention, the wire feeder has fliers which guide the wires in such a way that the direction in which each of the wires is let out always matches a radial direction of the relevant magnetic pole tooth at its corresponding wire outlet end.
This construction makes it possible to provide a wire-winding machine capable of achieving improved neatness of alignment of windings.
In a wire-winding method of the invention for forming coils on an iron core of a rotary electromechanical device, the iron core is constructed of a core member which is formed by joining a plurality of core segments, each of the core segments has a yoke portion and a magnetic pole tooth which is projectingly formed on an inside surface of the yoke portion, each of the coils is formed around the magnetic pole tooth, and the core member is formed by joining both ends of the individual yoke portions by means of connectors which serve as points of bending.
According to another principal feature of the invention, this wire-winding method comprises the steps of bending the core member in such a way that the magnetic pole teeth are positioned on the outside or inside of a bent structure, and forming the coils on one core segment while holding the core segments in positions where the core segments adjacent to the one core segment do not project in the direction of its magnetic pole tooth beyond a boundary surface including the inside surface of the yoke portion of the one core segment.
This wire-winding method makes it possible to prevent deformation of the coils potentially caused when winding magnet wires and achieve improved neatness of alignment of windings.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings